Efficacy of sealing occlusal caries with a flowable composite in primary molars: A 2-year randomized controlled clinical trial

Objectives: This randomized controlled clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of sealing carious dentin in controlling the progression of lesions in primary molars for 2-year follow-up. Materials and methods: Children (6.79 +/- 1.81 years, n=28) presenting primary molars with occlusal caries in the outer half of dentine were randomized and allocated into 2 groups: test (sealing caries with a flowable resin - SC) and control (partial removal of caries followed by restoration - PRC). The primary outcomes were: the clinical success of restorations evaluated by USPHS criteria and the radiographic analysis of caries progression. The children anxiety was evaluated by a Facial Image Scale; and the time required to perform the treatments was registered. Results: In 21 patients evaluated after 2 years, 48 primary molars were analyzed. Clinically, there was no difference between the groups. There was no difference between treatments (p=0.848) considering lesion progression. The anxiety level did not change after the two interventions (p=0.650). The treatment time of SC (9.03 +/- 1.91 min) was lower (p=0.002) than the PRC time (17.13 +/- 5.26 min). Conclusion: Sealing carious dentin may be used in dentistry since it did not alter the children anxiety, reduced the chair time and demonstrated clinical success rate and no radiographic difference in relation to the partial caries removal followed by restoration.